Masses of Digital Photos

For years, and I mean years, I have pondered HOW in the world to manage the 1000’s of print photos in boxes and the digital photos sitting on my computer. Do I print the digital photos and put them in an album? And if so, do I print them on my printer? Do I send to an online service? Or Walgreens at the corner? Is there another alternative?

And a Multitude of Analog Photos

And for those older ones in boxes….argh! I have drawers full. And I am NOT a scrapbooker. By any means. I’ve spent money on scrapbook tools and supplies and it never lasts. I’ve even tried to simplify it with a 3 ring binder, page protectors, construction paper, tape and instructions to the kids to “just use this stuff and make a scrapbook.” This is not a good, long term solution.

Nope on the iPad

I also have the original iPad and for a long time, I thought I could do it through some sort of app on there, but to no avail.

Anyone?

About every 6-9 months, my sister, Louisa, and I would text one another and ask “So, any new ideas about how to deal with the mass of photos?” I have 5 children. She has 4. My other sister, Evie, has 4. My mother has 4.

I Do Like My Mom’s Attitude!

In the end, my mom ended up with box after box of scattered, random photos and a few albums.

One day after my friend Jen, 10 kids, and I were lamenting this problem, I said to my mom “Are you sad that you never put all those photos in albums?” She very quickly said with a smile, “No.”

Oh. Ok. I like that attitude!

A Solution

Well, after that, I decided not to care either. But alas, that didn’t last forever. Once again, always searching for the solution, I finally came up with an idea I’m going with after several years of contemplating it.

I bought an 11″ Mac Air and I put the 20,000 photos from my desktop iMac onto an external drive. I realize this IS an expensive solution, but I will be using it for other things too. And good tools are important!

Here is the Key to Why This Should Work

Whenever I can get to it, whether while sitting with the family watching a movie OR at the coffeeshop OR on a trip OR wherever!, I can sit and organize those photos in iPhoto, into their albums, based on the year or the event. Being a mom of 5 leaves little time to sit at a desktop computer for these tasks. The laptop is where it’s at!

Notice on the lower left where it is labeled “Family 2012.” That is the beginning of an album.

Right now I’m working on the photos from our adoption trip to Russia in 2007. Next I will probably do those from the adoption trip to Ethiopia in 2011 and then I will probably go back to year 2003 and start working up year by year. It is still a daunting task!

But the albums are wonderful and easy to use with lots of themes to choose from. That makes the chore a little more palatable.

You can write captions too. And once you are done, just order the album from your Mac. They are so beautiful, like everything Apple does. I can order several if I want and save extras for the kids once they are grown. (You can’t do that with a handmade album.)

The last 2 years I have created the calendars in iPhoto with family pictures for the grandmothers for Christmas. So I have some experience. I think this idea will be what works best for me.

Especially since I am an Apple/Mac fanatic!

And as for the analog photos….well….one thing at a time :)

Do you have any wonderful ideas on how to solve this dilemma? I, and I know others, would love to hear them. God bless!

It took about a week of deep thought on how to achieve “Purse Efficiency” for all of my different needs. But then…. the Ah-Ha Moment! I finally figured it out!

Layer Your Purses

You know how we layer our clothes, especially if it’s cold in the morning and then gets hot in the afternoon? Do that! Layer your purses.

The Vera Bradley, so cute purses, helped achieve this idea. Their stores are a pleasure to peruse!

I bought this first little Vera Bradley purse a few months ago. It’s called the Wristlet and the pattern is Ellie Blue. There are over 20 different patterns to choose from.

It is perfect. It holds credit cards, cash, my headphones for the gym, and I can stuff my phone and keys in if necessary. I love the handle. And it is fun!

I even gave one of these for Christmas to both my sisters, my brother’s girlfriend and the awesome woman that helps me in my house. I hope they like them as much as I do!

I use this to go on quick shopping trips and also to the YMCA to work out.

I put this in the next bag called the Hipster, (the pattern is Ribbons) when running certain other errands. Many times I will pull the Wristlet out to go in a store and leave the bigger bag in the car so I don’t have to carry it.

I usually, but not if I’m just running a quick errand, take the Hipster on shopping trips. I take it in when we go to the movie or a lecture or if I need my checkbook, because my glasses live there in a somewhat bulky case since they are so flimsy and fragile.

I also have a several essential oils, checkbook, pens, heart monitor for exercising (don’t use this all the time), and a few other odds and ends.

The final bag that I got for my birthday (thanks sweetie) is called the Double Zip Backpack. This pattern is Summer Cottage.

I use this at least a couple of times a week and sometimes more. I take this when I want to take my laptop with me or books for a book study.

This is what lives in the backpack: The laptop in it’s case (that it’s sitting on), charger, external hard drive, and the Medium Cosmetic Bag in Provencal, which holds some other items (a few more essential oils, hair stuff, bandaids, etc)

Those items plus the Hipster purse with the Wristlet inside all fit in the backpack.

Here is the side view with everything in it.

Here is the front pocket.

This is working very well for me. I used to SWITCH purses depending on what I needed at the time, and would often forget something that had been left in another purse. I love this!

Plus, I seem to be always carrying something ELSE from a child to groceries to shopping bags to food to trash out of the car. The smaller the purse for the job, the better!

Do you have ideas on how you solve issues like this? I’d love to hear about them.

Have a fantastic day and make sure your glass is half full!

PS Oh, and by the way, I’m receiving nothing from Vera Bradley. I just love these purses. I guess they will get a little free advertising.

I said to my husband the other night ‘I’m always looking for that perfect formula of beauty and function” (whether it’s the daily schedule or how to arrange the furniture in a room.) He reminded me, “For the schedule, you will never find it, because life is always changing.” Oh. Right. Remembering that IS key, but continuing the search, always adjusting, always looking is human and good.

I started this post about a year ago and got distracted midway through. I know you know what I’m talking about! The addition of our precious, new little girl Sally, from Ethiopia, Classical Conversations (a new homeschool adventure we will discuss later), another adoption on the horizon, commitments to get the kids and me exercising more and the list goes on and on….

Hey there!

So glad you stopped by! My name is Allison and I’m a blogger in Small Town, Oklahoma. I love social media, (used to be a tv producer in LA before kids) finding chemical-free answers for everything in life, building businesses with my hubby of 22 years and loving on my 5 babes ages 8-20. I’m mostly into social media video, so find me on facebook, instagram and lately, snapchat!